Rating the Real Madrid Players in Their Win over Athletic Bilbao

Real Madrid saw off a very physical Bilbao side at San Mames to win by a score of 3-0. Cristiano Ronaldo led the way with a brace, but not everyone showed up on the night.

Los Blancos now look set to finish above Atletico Madrid for second in the La Liga table, but all eyes will be focused on La Decima.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the player ratings for Real Madrid on the night. Below is the rating system and all statistics are courtesy of WhoScored.com

1—Absolutely awful

2—No production whatsoever

3—Very little production

4—Worse than average

5—Average performance

6—Above average

7—Good production

8—Very high production

9—Nearly perfect performance

10—Absolute perfection

The Real Madrid Defense

Diego Lopez: 7/10

The Spanish keeper again showed why Casillas has not returned to the starting lineup. His two beautiful saves and three crosses claimed points to a strong night for Lopez who was definitely on his game.

Sergio Ramos: 8/10

In his return to right-back, Ramos did not disappoint. The defender made five important tackles and even won 83 percent of his headers. Ramos kept Muniain at bay for the entire match and was the best defender on the pitch at San Mames.

Pepe: 7/10

Pepe has started to show his best in recent performances and that continued against Bilbao. He only made one tackle but he did not lose a header and made no mistakes leading the back line.

Raul Albiol: 6/10             

Raul Albiol did not put a foot wrong against Bilbao, but he didn’t really put a foot right either. He did not make a single tack or header but looked comfortable alongside Pepe.

Marcelo: 6.5/10

The Brazilian spent most of the game defending multiple attackers. Bilbao targeting him on the counter and it showed. Marcelo only made one tackle but used his speed to recover balls and get involved in attack.

The Real Madrid Midfield

Xabi Alonso: 8.5/10

Alonso was arguably the most important player on the pitch for Madrid. He made five important tackles and gave a key assist on the night. His ability to keep possession made things difficult for Bilbao. Alonso controlled the midfield and almost every attack began with him.

Sami Khedira: 6.5/10

The German played quite well on the night but did not stand out by any means. He did make four tackles on the night, but did little else. Bilbao got behind the midfielder too many times but Khedira did well to recover.

Luka Modric: 7/10

The Croatian looked very comfortable filling in for the injured Ozil. He made two tackles and impressed with an 89 percent passing rating. Modric partnered with Alonso behind the strikers several times to initiate chances and was very influential at San Mames.

The Real Madrid Forwards

Angel Di Maria: 6/10

The Argentine did very little on the night, but what he did do was productive. He made an important tackle to stop a counter and got off a good shot at goal. But he struggled to really get involved in the attack and suffered a 78 percent passing rating.

Karim Benzema: 6.5/10

The French striker fared better than Di Maria by completing three tackles and getting off a few shots. Though he also had problems getting involved in the attack, his presence made space for Ronaldo on several occasions.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 10/10 and Man of the Match

Cristiano Ronaldo literally carried Real Madrid on the night. When teammates struggled to find their rhythm, he was already taking on a defender. His two goals and brilliant assist make him the man of the match as CR7 channeled his frustration into incredible play.

The Real Madrid Substitutes

Morata: 5/10

The young striker did not have time to really contribute. He had a 100 percent passing rating but only touched the ball nine times.

Jose Callejon: 6/10

Callejon also did not really have the time to make an impact. He enjoyed a perfect passing rating as well, but had only 15 touches. However, his speed was a factor as he got behind the defense a few times and had a chance at goal.

Gonzalo Higuain: 7.5/10

It is quickly becoming clear that Higuain is the first-choice option as Real Madrid’s striker. He scored a fantastic goal to seal the win and pulled defenders out of position with his off ball movement. His pairing with Ronaldo is becoming very dangerous for opponents.

How would you rate the players from Madrid's big win? Who as your man of the match? Leave your thoughts and comments below.

Tre' Atkinson. Follow me on Twitter for more discussions on Real Madrid and La Liga.

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